Sunday, March 13
Chapel Hill
1 p.m.
North Carolina
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Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh
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North Carolina
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Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Baseball Finishes Off Sweep Of Pitt
March 13, 2022 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina scored five runs in the eighth inning to break open a close game and finish its three-game ACC Coastal Division series sweep of Pittsburgh, 9-2, at Boshamer Stadium on Sunday.
Trailing 2-1 after five, the 15th-ranked Diamond Heels (14-2, 3-0) scored eight runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Sophomore infielder Johnny Castagnozzi, who hit a walk-off home run on Saturday, homered to lead off the bottom of the sixth and tie the game at 2-all.
Carolina then mounted a two-out rally in the seventh. Freshman Vance Honeycutt doubled to right-center field to start the rally, then Pitt (8-7, 0-3) elected to intentionally walk Angel Zarate. Tomas Frick then laced a bases clearing double to putt the Diamond Heels ahead to stay.
Four straight walks followed by three consecutive singles equaled to five Carolina runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Zarate.
UNC pitchers Kyle Mott and Shawn Rapp combined to strike out eight and yield only two hits in the final four innings. Mott entered the game in the top of the sixth and fanned the first two batters he faced. Rapp was summoned in the eighth and Pitt threatening to score with runners on first and second base with two outs.
Rapp struck out Kyle Hess.
Mott (4-0) earned the win, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings while Rapp earned his first save of 2022 in 1.1 innings pitched. Pittsburgh's Baron Stuart (1-2) suffered the loss.
NOTABLES
• The Tar Heels' 14-2 start is their best since the 2016 season, which they also started 14-2.
• North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start in ACC play for the first time since 2013 when it swept Wake Forest in its opening conference series.
• Carolina extended its home winning streak to 18 games, dating back to the final four games of the 2021 season.
• The Diamond Heels recorded their second weekend series sweep of Pitt (2018, 2022).
• The top four hitters in the UNC lineup were a combined 9-for-17 with five runs and eight RBIs.
• Zarate singled in the top of the first to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and his on base streak on 39 games. He collected multiple hits for the fourth straight game and the seventh time in the last nine games. He leads the Diamond Heels with nine multi-hit games this season. It was his second three-hit game of the series.
• Castagnozzi homered for the second straight game. He collected two hits for the third straight game and posted his eighth multi-hit game of the year.
• Mott earned his second win of the series, striking out four in 2.2 innings of relief.
• Rapp made his 12th appearance of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Vance Honeycutt doubled to lead off the top of the first and then scored on Zarate's first hit of the game (UNC 1, Pitt 0).
• Skye Dugg hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to give Pitt a one-run lead (Pitt 2, UNC 1).
• Johnny Castagnozzi tied the game with a solo home run in bottom half of the sixth inning (UNC 2, Pitt 2).
• Tomas Frick doubled to right to drive in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning (UNC 4, Pitt 2).
• Eric Grintz drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth to give the Diamond Heels a three-run cushion (UNC 5, Pitt 2).
• Zarate hit a bloop single to center field to plate a pair of runs in the eighth (UNC 7, Pitt 2).
• Frick singled through the right side to knock in Grintz from third base (UNC 8, Pitt 2).
• Castagnozzi drove home Zarate with a single to left field in the eighth inning (UNC 9, Pitt 2).
UP NEXT
The Diamond Heels will return to action on Tuesday, March 15, against VMI. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Trailing 2-1 after five, the 15th-ranked Diamond Heels (14-2, 3-0) scored eight runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Sophomore infielder Johnny Castagnozzi, who hit a walk-off home run on Saturday, homered to lead off the bottom of the sixth and tie the game at 2-all.
Carolina then mounted a two-out rally in the seventh. Freshman Vance Honeycutt doubled to right-center field to start the rally, then Pitt (8-7, 0-3) elected to intentionally walk Angel Zarate. Tomas Frick then laced a bases clearing double to putt the Diamond Heels ahead to stay.
Four straight walks followed by three consecutive singles equaled to five Carolina runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Zarate.
UNC pitchers Kyle Mott and Shawn Rapp combined to strike out eight and yield only two hits in the final four innings. Mott entered the game in the top of the sixth and fanned the first two batters he faced. Rapp was summoned in the eighth and Pitt threatening to score with runners on first and second base with two outs.
Rapp struck out Kyle Hess.
Mott (4-0) earned the win, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings while Rapp earned his first save of 2022 in 1.1 innings pitched. Pittsburgh's Baron Stuart (1-2) suffered the loss.
NOTABLES
• The Tar Heels' 14-2 start is their best since the 2016 season, which they also started 14-2.
• North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start in ACC play for the first time since 2013 when it swept Wake Forest in its opening conference series.
• Carolina extended its home winning streak to 18 games, dating back to the final four games of the 2021 season.
• The Diamond Heels recorded their second weekend series sweep of Pitt (2018, 2022).
• The top four hitters in the UNC lineup were a combined 9-for-17 with five runs and eight RBIs.
• Zarate singled in the top of the first to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and his on base streak on 39 games. He collected multiple hits for the fourth straight game and the seventh time in the last nine games. He leads the Diamond Heels with nine multi-hit games this season. It was his second three-hit game of the series.
• Castagnozzi homered for the second straight game. He collected two hits for the third straight game and posted his eighth multi-hit game of the year.
• Mott earned his second win of the series, striking out four in 2.2 innings of relief.
• Rapp made his 12th appearance of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Vance Honeycutt doubled to lead off the top of the first and then scored on Zarate's first hit of the game (UNC 1, Pitt 0).
• Skye Dugg hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to give Pitt a one-run lead (Pitt 2, UNC 1).
• Johnny Castagnozzi tied the game with a solo home run in bottom half of the sixth inning (UNC 2, Pitt 2).
• Tomas Frick doubled to right to drive in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning (UNC 4, Pitt 2).
• Eric Grintz drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth to give the Diamond Heels a three-run cushion (UNC 5, Pitt 2).
• Zarate hit a bloop single to center field to plate a pair of runs in the eighth (UNC 7, Pitt 2).
• Frick singled through the right side to knock in Grintz from third base (UNC 8, Pitt 2).
• Castagnozzi drove home Zarate with a single to left field in the eighth inning (UNC 9, Pitt 2).
UP NEXT
The Diamond Heels will return to action on Tuesday, March 15, against VMI. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mott, Kyle (4-0)
L: Baron Stuart (1-2)
S: Rapp, Shawn (1)
Batting:
HR: Sky Duff 1
RBI: Sky Duff 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Sky Duff 1 ; Brock Franks 1
Batting:
2B: Honeycutt, Vance 2 ; Frick, Tomas 1
HR: Castagnozzi, Johnny 1
RBI: Zarate, Angel 3 ; Frick, Tomas 3 ; Castagnozzi, Johnny 2 ; Grintz, Eric 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Honeycutt, Vance 2 ; Zarate, Angel 2 ; Castagnozzi, Johnny 1 ; Alvarez, Patrick 1 ; Wilkerson, Colby 1 ; Horvath, Mac 1 ; Grintz, Eric 1
CS: Holbrook, Reece 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
lf/rf
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
3
2b/1b
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
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